


Just One More

by TheJaguar (Spiderboat)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:31:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4506084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderboat/pseuds/TheJaguar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot's a bartender at the Beach City Bar used to flirting with people for extra tips. Pearl's dealing with the reality that she can't handle her polyamorous relationship anymore. </p>
<p>"Tell you what, pretty lady. Next drink's on me - anything you want. How's that sound?"</p>
<p>[AU in which everyone are still gems but in normal human society for shits and giggles, also Jasper is a nice person.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title of this fic was given to me by my dear and darling boyfriend. <3

Truthfully, Peridot hated flirting. But it helped her get more tips, so when she donned her work uniform, she put on that winning smile she'd been practicing, got a smoky look in her eyes, and went to work ready to pretend that she was going to actually have sex with any of these people.

The Beach City Bar wasn't a terrible place to work, but it was severely understaffed. Run by Yellow Diamond, who usually stayed in the office to "work on paperwork" (Peridot questioned if she was even in the building half the time), the only other two workers in the whole place were Peridot and Jasper. Peridot was the bartender, and while Jasper helped with that, her main job was to be the bouncer. She was much better at the latter. It was open from 5 PM 'til 2 AM every day of the week, including most holidays. The "Help Wanted" sign was a nearly permanent fixture in the front window, but no one ever asked to apply.

That meant Peridot worked seven days a week serving people alcohol, flirting with them, and listening to all their sob stories about what compelled them to drink in the first place.

She didn't really care, to be honest. She was tired, overworked, and introverted to the point that her only two friends were Jasper and Lapis Lazuli, her old college roommate. She hardly ever saw Lapis anymore though. Too much work to do.

"You should have been a theater major," Jasper had quipped one night after closing.

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" Peridot had asked, wiping down the counter for the hundredth time that night.

"Because you're so good at pretending you give a shit about any of these people."

So it went. It didn't bother her much. The job paid decently well and her tips usually helped make sure she could afford rent. The only trouble was that her job was preventing her from having even the slightest bit of energy to look for a profession in her field of choice: computer science. Or engineering. She double-majored.

Fuckton of good it did her now. It was a busy night, but at least it was Monday, so it wasn't as bad as it had been for the past two days. Peridot cracked open a wine bottle in her robotic hands with a flourish. She poured the red liquid into the clear glass with style before sliding it down towards the nameless patron. She gave her a wink, corking the bottle shut. "There you go, baby, enjoy." She always spoke with more emotion than she actually had. But the girl blushed and looked at her friend, who smiled back, so Peridot knew she'd probably get at least an extra buck out of her.

The bell over the door jingled to signal that a customer was entering, and Jasper was there to stop them. "Gonna need to see some ID, please." A brief pause, then, "All right, enjoy your stay."

Peridot, with her back turned as she prepared someone else's drink, only heard the newcomer sit down on one of the stools. "Be with you in a second, hon."

"Sure thing, I can wait." The new voice was soft and demure in a way that Peridot didn't expect from her customers. Quickly, Peridot finished mixing the drink - some nasty blend of rum and coconut mixer. Some people just had no taste. She tossed it down the bar for the customer to catch in his hand. Peridot didn't bother even looking at him. She was not even remotely straight enough to pretend to flirt with men.

Instead, she turned to see her new customer. She was definitely new. Peridot was here every day and knew the faces of everyone who was at the bar even a little more than once or twice. She'd definitely never seen this girl before. Pale, almost white skin, with pink hair that just fell below her cheeks and at a unique point behind her head. Wide, unusually blue eyes and a shiny white gem on her forehead, similar to Peridot's own. A dark red blazer with black trim, red pencil skirt, and a white button-down blouse.

Huh. She was actually pretty cute. Still, she was on the job, and it's not like she was ever awake enough for the dating scene anyway.

"What can I do for you today, pretty lady?" Peridot asked, offering her most winning smile.

The other gem sighed, clearly not amused. Huh. That was odd. "I'll just take vodka and ginger ale, no ice," she said. She had a forlorn look on her face, and her voice was so soft that Peridot might have lost it had someone spoken up just then. Rough day, she supposed.

"Sure thing, doll, comin' right up." She knew how differently she spoke when she was working. It was all just an act, really. She dulled down her natural rasp, spoke more sweetly, learned to let disgustingly cutesy pet names roll off the tongue like water. Her robotic fingers played with the assorted bottles with style, showing off just what those prosthetics of hers could do. But it was all fiction. As soon as the bar closed and she and Jasper were left to clean the place up for the next day, it was back to her old self.

In a matter of moments, Peridot had fixed the very simple drink for the new girl. She set it down gently in front of her, grinning. "Here you go, baby, just for you."

The woman almost flinched as Peridot spoke, taking the handle of the glass mug in one hand and looking away. "Thanks."

Jeez, was nothing gonna work on her? Peridot shrugged. There wasn't much more she could do. Maybe she was straight? She sure as hell didn't look it, but looks could be deceiving. Apparently some men thought they had a chance with Peridot, for instance. The thought was enough to make her snort.

She went about her business, filling more orders and engaging in small talk with her customers. She checked the clock at the opposite wall. Just after one. The bar would be closing in an hour, thank stars. Peridot looked at the woman in the red blazer and frowned. She'd hardly touched her drink and wasn't talking to anyone, wasn't even looking at anything in particular.

Then it all clicked. Of course. Someone with a sob story who could really only afford to drink their problems away instead of, y'know, get therapy. She should have gone to college for counseling, at this rate.

Sighing internally, Peridot made her way over to her and leaned on the counter. The other woman jumped, startled. "You okay, sugar?" Peridot asked. "You don't look so good."

The woman sighed. "I'm fine."

Peridot _tsk_ ed. "Baby, I sell alcohol for a living. I know shitty when I see it." She reached one of her hands out and squeezed the woman's thin, slender wrist in her soft fingers. "Come on, tell me what's wrong." Not that Peridot actually cared, but she figured pretending to would help get a few extra bucks thrown her way. Besides, she had to admit she slept easier when she played therapist. Some righteous bullshit about "helping others" or whatever.

Running a hand through her pink hair, the gem looked out the window and said, "I broke up with my girlfriend."

Huh! So she was queer after all. Peridot tried not to smirk at how good her gaydar was. "That's rough. You doin' all right? What happened?"

There was a brief pause. "She got pregnant." A steely look came to her eyes as she clutched her drink. "By her boyfriend."

_Ouch._ Not like she hadn't heard that one before, but that still blew. "Yikes... Sucks to get cheated on."

The other woman laughed, dull and hollow. "That's the worst part. It wasn't cheating. I walked myself right into this mess."

...Wait. What? Peridot was thoroughly confused. She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"We had an... arrangement. I was dating Rose, but Rose... She's a free spirit. Can't be tied down to anything. Couldn't handle a strictly monogamous relationship. And, of course, I loved her. Loved her more than anything. I still do, if I'm being honest." She took a lock of her hair in her fingers and began to twirl it. "But, because of that, I told her she could see other people and me. I just - I loved her so much, you know?"

Peridot didn't, but she nodded like she did.

"And she met Greg a little while after. And things were fine. He's..." She chuckled softly, a sardonic sort of smile crossing her lips. "Well, I think he's dull and trite and I don't know what she sees in him at _all_. But... he made her happy, and he was kind to me as well. We were all living together - still are. And I thought things were fine. But then she broke it to me today that she's pregnant with his baby." The woman sighed, her cheeks turning a soft teal color as tears began to well up in her big, blue eyes. "And I realized that I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I can't be with her while she's with him, having his baby." Her shoulders shook briefly as she choked down a sob. "And do you know what the worst part is?"

Peridot's voice was soft when she spoke. "What?"

"They _apologized_ to me. For hurting me like this. For things not working out." The woman covered her face with one hand, but Peridot could see the tears streaming down her face freely. "I've gotten my heart broken by two perfectly kind, good people, and I can't even bring myself to hate them or be angry at them. It's my fault. This whole mess I'm in is my fault."

It was a rare occasion where a customer's story could stir Peridot's cold, shriveled heart. The only others she could recall were the mayor's wife dying in childbirth and the woman who ran the art store getting dumped at the altar by her shitty fiancé. But this woman made Peridot's heart ache with sympathy. (Which was kind of fucked up considering that, compared to the first two, this technically wasn't as serious.) All three of them had loved too much in the wrong ways and it only ended in heartbreak. Poor thing.

Peridot squeezed the woman's wrist again, making her look up. She offered her a soft, genuine smile, rare from her on the job. "Hey," she said. "I'm sorry that happened. You seem like a nice girl. I'm sure you'll find somebody else." An idea burst into Peridot's head and she tapped the wooden surface of the bar as it came. "Tell you what, pretty lady. Next drink's on me - anything you want. How's that sound?"

The other gem wiped her eyes with a tissue from inside her breast pocket. "Won't you get in trouble for that?"

"From the sound of things, sweetheart, you could use an extra. Don't worry about it." She tapped the glass in the woman's other hand. "You think about what you want while you polish that off." She gave a lopsided grin. "By the way, my name's Peridot. What's yours?" It was rare she asked for a customer's name since they usually wound up telling her in the first place, but at this point it just seemed natural to introduce herself properly.

"Pearl. My name's Pearl." She downed her drink hard and fast, the glass making a soft clunk as it hit the bar. "And right now I'll have the strongest stuff you're willing to give me."

* * *

Maybe Peridot _shouldn't_ have listened to Pearl's request, because now, five drinks later, she was slumped over the bar and passed out. It was 1:45, about time to get ready to close up shop for the night. Jasper wasn't letting anyone new into the bar, and she made good work of ushering everyone out. "All right, all right, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here! You know the drill!"

Pearl, however loud Jasper was, remained still. Peridot tapped her shoulder. "Hey, pretty lady. You okay?"

She moaned softly but didn't seem able to move.

"Ugh, dammit." Peridot groaned loudly before shouting for her coworker. "Jasper, we've got one out cold here." Peridot kept shaking Pearl, gently tapping her face. "Come on, baby, closing time. Can't stay here." Pearl moaned wordlessly, trying to lift her head and slipping back onto the bar's surface. "Jasper, hurry up!"

Jasper ushered the last of the customers out of the bar and locked the doors, running a hand through her wild, white bangs. "Jeez, fuck did you do to her?"

"Gave her what she asked for," Peridot snapped back. "Apparently _some_ people can't hold their liquor."

"Tch, no kidding. Wanna call a cab?"

Peridot raised an eyebrow incredulously. "With her like this? Fuck no. Drivers are already sketchy. I'll bring her home myself if I have to."

"How chivalrous." A grin twitched briefly across Jasper's face. "Let me see her ID, let's see where she lives."

"Think it's in her wallet," Peridot grumbled. She hated looking through her customers' things, but in times like this it was necessary. Pearl had a cute blue wallet with a cartoony yellow star on the front flap, and when Peridot opened it, her ID card was clearly visible. Scanning the card, she chuckled slightly when she saw the address. "No fucking way."

"What is it? Is she part of a weird cult?" Jasper tried to nudge her way closer to see.

"She lives next door to Lapis." Peridot blinked slowly. "I'll give her a call, hopefully she's still awake." Peridot then reached into the pocket of her black dress pants and pulled her phone out. She could have, in theory, programmed all her numbers into her hands, since the technology in them was so much more advanced, but this was easier for keeping in touch with humans and other gems.

Holding it to her ear, it rang three times before there was a groggy answer. "Peridot, it's two o'clock in the _fucking_ morning, what do you _want_?"

"Hey," Peridot replied nonchalantly. "Listen, I need to ask you a huge favor."

"What is it?"

"We've got a girl here out cold. She lives right next door to you. Can you come pick her up and take her home?"

"Next door... Oh, God, is _that_ where Pearl's been?" Lapis gasped. "Rose just asked me a few hours ago, she hasn't seen her since, like, ten this morning."

"Yep, that's her. So can you get her? Jasper and I need to close up soon."

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll be there in twenty." The phone clicked abruptly. Lapis wasn't one for goodbyes. Whatever.

Peridot stuffed her phone back in her pocket. "Lapis'll come get her in like twenty minutes, we can close up."

"You still need to introduce me to her," Jasper said, propping Pearl up in a regular chair so that her body would be better supported. "You keep saying you will but you never do."

Peridot rolled her eyes. "Oh, _forgive me_ for not thinking about you getting your dick wet all the time."

"Come on, Dot!" Jasper whined, pouting. "She's _so_ cute from all the pictures on your profile."

Peridot groaned, untucking her white button-down shirt from her dress pants for the night. "Just shut up and help me close up, I'm so sick of looking at this place."

Peridot's phone began to ring abruptly and she picked it up out of her pocket. Confused, she answered. "Lapis? You again?"

"Peridot, you said that Pearl was _drinking_?" Lapis asked. Peridot could hear from the shitty phone quality that she was driving and half wanted to chastise her for breaking the law, but she sounded panicked, and Peridot knew better than to tease a panicked Lapis.

"Yeah, she had like six drinks and completely passed out." She put her hand on one hip, glancing over at the woman in question. Her eyes were fluttering open at least, which was good, but she still looked like hell.

"Peridot, Pearl doesn't drink."

"No kidding."

"I - _augh_ ! No, I mean she doesn't eat or drink _anything_ , ever. Not even _water_. What the fuck happened?"

Well, gems didn't need to eat or drink, so Peridot wasn't too off-put. It was a luxury more than anything. "She said she broke up with her girlfriend today. Sad story, poor kid. I gave her one on the house."

There was awkward silence filled only by the muffled sound of passing cars on Lapis's end for a few moments. Peridot was about to open her mouth to ask if Lapis was still there, but she answered finally. "Oh. I see." Her voice was small, which was enough to make Peridot worry.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. I just don't think Pearl is. Watch her for me, I'll be there in ten."

"Got it." Peridot hung up and glanced at Jasper. "She's on her way. Can you handle the bathrooms tonight? I just wanna keep an eye on our guest here."

Jasper groaned, rolling up her own white sleeves 'til they exposed half of her huge, toned biceps. "Fine, but you'd better call for me when Lapis gets here."

Peridot rolled her eyes. "Stars, you're thirsty. Fine, fine, I'll tell her you want her pussy."

" _Peridot!_ "

"Just go, please? I wanna get out of here as soon as possible." As Jasper begrudgingly went to sanitize the bathrooms, Peridot sat down in the chair next to Pearl's. She looked more alert, and was adjusting herself to get more comfortable. "You look like you're doing better," Peridot told her.

Pearl wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. "Huh? Y-yeah, 'm fine..."

Peridot chuckled. "Had a few too many, huh?"

"Somethin' like that." Pearl kicked her feet and giggled. "Feels tingly. Wobbly. Like jelly."

"Better than passed out. You gonna be all right? Your neighbor's coming to pick you up. Lapis Lazuli."

Pearl's eyes lit up in recognition. "Lapis," she echoed. "She's nice."

Peridot nodded, grinning slightly. She was one of the cute drunks, at least. Better than the crying ones or the loud, belligerent ones. "Yeah, she is. We were actually roommates in college."

"No kiddin'. Bet you two did all kinds of fun things together." She had a mischievous look in her eyes and a grin that revealed every dirty little thought in her head.

Peridot rolled her eyes. "Nah, she's not my type."

"Am _I_ your type?" Pearl purred, placing a hand on Peridot's thigh.

Used to this kind of thing, Peridot simply moved her hand away gently. "Babe, you're drunk, so the answer is no."

"Some other time?"

Peridot chuckled. She probably wouldn't even remember Peridot's name in the morning, she was so wasted. "Yeah, maybe some other time, princess. When you're not about to puke all over your nice clothes." When there was a lull in the conversation, Peridot stood up and gave the woman a pat on the shoulder. "Sit tight here. I've got cleaning to do to close up. Don't wander off without me, you hear?"

Pearl giggled as Peridot walked away. "You're funny."

Peridot smirked but continued to lock up the cabinets with assorted liquor and mixers. At least her floating robot fingers helped her do that with relative ease. It felt weird to her for someone to be watching her do this. Not that it was a _bad_ thing. There weren't any rules enforcing that customers couldn't watch closing procedures - and even if there were, Yellow Diamond was never around enough to enforce them properly, so it was her fault to begin with.

Peridot kept stealing glances up at her customer to make sure she wasn't throwing up all over the place. She looked spaced out and dizzy, but otherwise fine. Gems were less affected by alcohol than humans, but this one in particular was apparently hardly used to human food. No wonder she got trashed.

At last the bar area was clean, and at that moment, there was a gentle tapping at the door. She saw Lapis's blue hair poking out from under a black hoodie - probably her pajamas. She waved as she called loudly to Jasper. "Hey, Jasper! Give me the keys, Lapis is here!"

The door to the men's bathroom slammed open, and out came Jasper, wet mop in hand. "Do I look okay?" she asked as she handed Peridot the metal keys.

"You look terrible like always," Peridot quipped, much to Jasper's dismay. Peridot walked to the door and opened it, locking it behind Lapis. "Hey. Thanks for coming."

"I'd say no problem, but I had to drive at two in the morning _and_ put on pants." Lapis shoved her small hands into her flannel pocket covered in rubber duckies. "Where's Pearl?"

"Right over here. She's doing better now but you should really make sure she gets inside OK." Peridot led Lapis over to the chair Pearl was sitting in where she was beginning to doze off.

Lapis snapped her fingers in front of Pearl's face. "Hey, sunshine, time to get up. I'm taking you home."

Pearl grumbled, rubbing her eyes. She didn't say anything, just tried to stand. Her legs were still wobbly, so Lapis wrapped Pearl's arm over her shoulders to keep her steady. It was awkward, since she was much shorter than Pearl, but they managed.

"Oh, Lapis, before you go," Peridot said, "I wanted to introduce you to someone."

"Is it your college debt? Because if it is, I'll pass."

Peridot snorted. "No, it's my coworker." She gestured to Jasper, who stood behind the bar, trying to straighten out her wild bangs with her fingers. "Lapis, this is my friend, Jasper. Jasper, this is Lapis."

Peridot almost cackled from the dumb look on Jasper's face as she and Lapis met eyes for the first time. A dark shade of orange colored her cheeks as she held out one of her huge hands. "H-hi. Nice to meet you. Peridot's told me a lot about you."

_At your constant probing,_ Peridot thought.

Lapis looked Jasper up and down once, a tiny grin poking at the corners of her lips. She took Jasper's hand, giggling as it was almost swallowed by the other woman's huge palm. "I'm Lapis. Lapis Lazuli. It's really nice to meet you." She giggled. "I'd like to stay and chat, but I really should get Pearl home."

"Y-yeah, that's probably the best idea." Jasper coughed, and Peridot almost howled from how she flexed her biceps as she did so. Show-off even when she wasn't thinking about it.

Another low giggle came from Lapis's lips. "All right. We'll be going now. Good night Peridot, Jasper."

"I'll walk you out," Peridot said, twirling the keys around one finger. "Jasper, are the bathrooms clean?"

Jasper grunted in response, her eyes still fixed on Lapis.

"Then let's get the fuck out of here."

The four gems all left the building, with Peridot locking the door behind them. The street was eerily quiet. Peridot never got used to how silent and dark it got at that hour, no matter how many days she worked 'til 2 AM. Lapis walked with Pearl over to her car, helping Pearl into the front passenger seat before driving away. Jasper and Peridot watched them disappear onto the first right turn out onto the main road before either of them said anything.

It was Jasper who spoke first. "She's so... _tiny_." Her voice was more high-pitched than Peridot had ever heard it, making Peridot do a double take.

"Excuse me?"

"Lapis is so _tiny!_ " Jasper squealed again, holding her hands against her cheeks. "She's _adorable!_ " Well, Peridot didn't find Lapis especially small, but she was about the same height as Peridot. She _was_ much skinnier, though. Maybe that's where this... _thing_ was coming from.

"Jeez." Peridot rolled her eyes. "You're such a dyke."

"Hey, you don't have any right to pick on me! I saw you giving that other girl that look." Jasper grinned, looming over Peridot. The gesture had intimidated Peridot in the past, before she learned that Jasper was all flex and no punch. Now it was just _annoying._

"What look? I flirt with everyone. Helps put money in my pocket and pay my rent."

"Come on, Dot. I know you. You _liked_ her."

"Ugh, you're so annoying. I'm going home so I don't have to deal with this." Peridot pulled her car keys out of her other pocket, walking over to her beat-up station wagon. "Good night, Jasper. See you tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take long for Peridot to get home from work. She, luckily, lived only ten minutes away by car. She tried to walk quietly up the stairs to her apartment on the fourth floor of her complex, keeping her metal feet strictly on the carpet. She knew that if she didn't, the landlady would complain about her being too noisy. She'd tried to explain to her that she couldn't wear quieter shoes because her feet were literally prosthetics, but her landlady wouldn't hear it. Defeated, Peridot simply stuck to the carpet.

Still, it was quiet, with just a few lights on so that she wasn't wandering in the pitch dark. Peridot pulled her keys out of her pocket and opened the door to her apartment, flicking on the switch. It was extremely small and crammed full of computer parts. On the side, Peridot would do computer repair and IT consultations. It was more like picking up digital odd jobs more than anything, but it helped. Some weeks, the tips and salary from the bar just weren't enough to cover expenses, so she improvised.

Peridot instantly darted to her dresser, located on the side of the living room that functioned as Peridot's bedroom since the _actual_ bedroom was full of hard drives. She stuck with a simple green flannel set and, shutting the blinds, set to work on removing her uniform piece by piece. First came the black necktie, then the silver-striped black vest. She folded these neatly, not bothering to undo the knot of the tie, and set them down on the windowsill. Then she slowly unbuttoned her white blouse, which she put back on its thin, rusty wire hanger and slipped that through the handle of the top drawer. Finally, she wriggled out of her black dress pants, folding them and hanging them as well. She would wash them in the morning, when she had the energy to move.

Crawling into her pajamas, Peridot set to getting into bed. Her bed, however, was actually just the pullout of an old couch she lifted off the side of the road when she bought her apartment. It smelled faintly of cat pee, even after liberal treatments with various cleaning products, and the mattress was lumpier than it should have been, but it served its purpose, and what she couldn't spend on a proper bed, she made up for in decent sheets and pillows. Most gems didn't need to sleep, but Peridot was a special exception.

As a gemling, she had gotten herself into a nasty accident that involved a balloon, a tree, and an extremely high drop that would have killed a human child. She had landed with enough force to not only crack her gem, but shatter some small pieces of it. These chunks of missing gem were hidden behind the projection of her body - call it subconscious vanity or self-preservation, it depends on your point of view - but they prevented Peridot from regenerating with full limbs. As such, she had been fitted with advanced prosthetics. She had also found that, because her gem was not all it used to be, it could not provide her physical form with the energy that other gems could, and she needed to eat and sleep in order to remain healthy and stable. Peridot resented this, though she had come to accept it over time.

The faint sound of buzzing roused her from her reverie, and Peridot got back up to retrieve her phone from her pockets. It was a text from Lapis. "Got Pearl home safe - going back to bed."

"Thanks again. See you around." Peridot wasn't one for being affectionate where it wasn't necessary. At least that woman was in her own house now.

Well, not entirely her own, from what she remembered. She was still living with her ex-girlfriend and her ex's boyfriend. That couldn't have been easy.

Peridot shook her head violently, setting her phone back down on her desk. What did she care? So, she'd given her a free drink for her sob story, big fucking deal. No need to dwell on it further. She must have just been exhausted.

Peridot crawled into bed for the second time that night, pulled the covers over herself, and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Sleep didn't come easy for Pearl that night. Lapis had been kind enough to drive her home after she'd gotten embarrassingly drunk out in public. Pearl didn't know Lapis especially well, but she owed her for that. Maybe she could treat her to a day at the beach sometime.

Still tipsy, Pearl stumbled into her room. She'd always had her own space in the apartment with Rose and Greg, had always needed it. Sometimes Rose would come in and sleep with her, other nights she would spend with Greg.

Pearl flinched. She didn't want to think about Rose sleeping with Greg right now. Couldn't bear to think of it. She let the door click shut behind her and groaned. This was the worst. The absolute worst.

Still, it had felt good to tell someone. The bartender's soft smile and gentle hand came to mind and relief flushed through Pearl's bones. True, she was smart enough to know that she was being paid to pretend to listen, but... Well, the act was enough to soothe her for a few moments. And she had been kind enough to give her a free drink. So, there was that.

Ugh, there was no point in dwelling. It's not like Pearl planned on drinking again anytime soon. The whole experience had been awful. She knew eventually she would have to... _pass_ all that liquid, and while Pearl was more than familiar with the process, she usually tried to avoid it for as long as possible. It was disgusting.

Pearl slipped into a simple blue tank top and yellow shorts and crawled into bed. Her head still felt heavy and she knew that if she fell asleep now, she would wake up intoxicated in the morning. She couldn't have that. Her routine, carefully planned and organized, would be totally disrupted. She woke up daily at 5:30 AM, showered until 5:50, dressed and did her hair and makeup until 6:10, and drove to make it to her job at 6:50 AM, precisely ten minutes early.

No, she absolutely could not afford to have that disrupted. It would throw off the entire rest of the week, and you couldn't have that in a hectic corporate setting.

Pearl reached for her phone and looked through her contacts. She found Lapis's number stored there, though Pearl realized that the last time she had texted her was five months ago when Lapis had gone away on vacation and requested that Pearl feed her fish and clean their filter. She must still be awake. Amethyst and Garnet were definitely asleep, and besides, Pearl felt... uneasy about talking to them, since they were all friends with Rose. Lapis, on the other hand, was pleasant but distant enough from the drama that Pearl could speak to her openly.

**Pearl, 2:35 AM**  
Hi, it's Pearl. Are you awake?

**Lapis, 2:37 AM**  
Yeah. Eating some cereal. Too wired to sleep after driving. You OK?

**Pearl, 2:38 AM**  
I'm all right. Too drunk to sleep.

**Lapis, 2:40 AM**  
Yeah, because you could probably get drunk off water with how little human food you eat. Seriously, Pearl, what were you thinking? I know you and Rose just broke up, but you never do shit like this. What's going on?

Pearl paused. She didn't know why she had decided to go out drinking, to be fully honest. She had hobbies. She did fencing. She could throw a javelin. She liked sewing. There were numerous, healthier ways she could have dealt with it. So why did she pick the one thing that she knew would end badly? Pearl thought, then frowned before sending her next message.

**Pearl, 2:44 AM**  
I guess I have some issues I need to work out. I didn't think before I did it. Thanks for coming to get me, by the way. But how did you know I was there?

**Lapis, 2:47 AM**  
Peridot (your bartender) called me. She was worried about you since you passed out.

**Pearl, 2:47 AM**  
How do you know her?

**Lapis, 2:48 AM**  
We were roommates in college all four years. She's a really cool girl once you get to know her, actually, though she can be pretty abrasive. And she tries not to act like it, but she cares about her customers a lot.

Huh. That was interesting. Pearl always knew that the world was small to humans, but she hadn't imagined it would be that way for gems, too.

**Pearl, 2:49 AM**  
How's that?

**Lapis, 2:50 AM**  
I suggested she call you a cab but she refused. She was afraid a driver would try something on you. She's driven drunk girls home by herself before, too. She's a dope, but she's got a big heart. We don't talk much because she works so often, though. It was nice to see her again.

Hm. So maybe she wasn't putting on an act after all? It was so hard to tell. And if she did call Lapis herself just to get Pearl home safe, that meant that Pearl owed her. She should at least go back once to thank her. She didn't have to drink again. Just stop by, say hello and thank you, then leave. Be done with the whole thing and put it behind her. That was at least simpler than some other things she was dealing with right now.

**Lapis, 2:52 AM**  
Did you fall asleep on me?

**Pearl, 2:52 AM**  
No, no, sorry. I got distracted for a second. I was thinking I should thank Peridot for what she did. I don't know how, though.

**Lapis, 2:53 AM**  
We can go to the bar together sometime, if you want. It'd be a good excuse to see my old friend again, and I can keep you from doing something stupid.

**Pearl, 2:54 AM**  
Your confidence is astounding.

**Lapis, 2:54 AM**  
Your ability to make poor life choices is equally astounding.

**Lapis, 2:55 AM**  
Anyway, I'm tired. Hopefully you are, too. I'm going to bed. G'night.

**Pearl, 2:55 AM**  
We can talk about this more in the morning anyway. Good night.

Pearl set her phone down, sitting at the edge of her mattress. If she listened closely, she could hear Greg's snoring from across the hall. Other than that, the house was eerily still. Usually, Rose was doing something around the house at night. Gardening, cleaning, baking - anything to stay busy. Tonight, however, she'd retired to Greg's room.

Lapis had mentioned that Rose had been asking for her earlier that day. Maybe she was angry with Pearl for running off. And maybe she should have been. Pearl broke the news just that morning that she couldn't handle the relationship anymore, after all. She'd gone through her whole workday with the things she'd said running through her head.

" _Rose, I love you, but I can't do this anymore. I can't keep this up if you're having his child. It's too much for me to bear._ "

" _Pearl, be reasonable-_ "

" _I'm being perfectly reasonable!_ "

" _This doesn't mean what we have has to end-_ "

" _It does for me, Rose. I thought I could handle this. I can't. Please respect that._ "

She had expected Rose to say something, anything, in response to that. There was nothing. She simply stared at Pearl through those dark gray eyes and said absolutely nothing. Pearl had taken her bag and keys and walked out the door after that. Later that day, Rose had called her to apologize. Pearl couldn't bear to pick it up, so she'd let it go to voicemail and listened later.

_"Pearl, it's me. Listen... I'm sorry. About all of this. I never wanted you to get hurt. I - we - care about you very much. And we're sorry that this is hurting you so much. I understand if you can't be with me anymore, however. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like - I know how you are with always feeling like a burden. You aren't one. You are still our friend, even if things are awkward for a while. Whew... All right. I'm sorry. You must be very busy if you didn't pick up. I'll let you go. Love y- ... Bye."_

Maybe they would talk more about it later.

She sort of hoped not.

* * *

Peridot blearily opened her eyes, squinting from the amount of daylight pouring into her living room. "Stars, what time is it?" she grumbled, pawing for her phone. 11:25 AM. Well, that wasn't terrible for her. There had been times where she'd slept until 3 PM and needed to rush to finish her chores so she could get to work on time.

But before any chores, Peridot had to eat. Her stomach growled from not being fed all night last night. Peridot usually brought something to eat on her 45 minute break while Jasper covered for her, but she'd forgotten last night and didn't feel like eating bar olives for the hundredth time. She crawled out of bed and skulked towards her fridge, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Peridot opened the magnet-covered door to her fridge and groaned. She'd forgotten to go grocery shopping again. She could have gone now, but she didn't have a list together and knew how deep in the hole she could put herself if she went shopping while hungry. Peridot shut the door to the fridge and checked her phone. Jasper hadn't texted her, but she was definitely awake by now. She always worked out for at least two hours every day to keep herself in obscenely beefy shape. Peridot hit the call button and put the phone to her ear.

It rang a few times, then Jasper finally answered. "Hello?" Her breathing was heavy, and Peridot could hear the sound of her feet slapping on the pavement during a rigorous jog.

"Hey. I forgot to go food shopping again. Do you wanna get coffee?" Peridot sniffled, wiping her runny nose with her sleeve.

"Uh... Yeah, yeah, I can do that. Meet up at the usual place?"

"Sure. What time?"

"I mean, I'll be around there in like ten minutes."

"Give me fifteen, I need to get dressed."

Jasper chortled. "Did you really just get up and find out your fridge was empty?"

Peridot groaned, leaning against the kitchen counter. "This is why we should never have dated. You know too much about me."

"Hah! Naw, you're just easy to figure out. You've got all your habits and such - Hey, asshole, watch where you're riding that thing!" Peridot snickered. That kid on the bicycle Jasper always complained about must have nearly hit her once again. "Ugh, fucking dick. Anyway, yeah, let's meet up in fifteen."

"Will do. See ya." Peridot clicked her phone off and grumbled. She knew that Jasper would probably tease her about that girl from the bar again - what was even her name? Peridot couldn't remember. She had to learn a lot of people's names as it was, she wasn't about to waste the mental energy on a one-time visitor. Even if she was pretty cute.

Ugh, whatever.

Peridot slipped into a pair of jeans that were much too big for her waist but just the right size for her prosthetics, securing them with a belt, and a plain blue T-shirt. It wasn't really her color, but it was clean, and Peridot didn't give a shit about what anyone thought of her outside of work. She ran a brush through her hair, leaving it messy for the most part but decently presentable. Satisfied, she shoved her phone in her pocket and walked down to the coffee shop.

The Big Donut wasn't an especially fancy place, feeling more like an office water cooler that happened to be surrounded by four walls and run by a couple of kids, but it was reliable. The coffee was decent and the donuts were pretty good, for the most part. Peridot found Jasper in her bright orange track suit easily, sticking out like... well, like an alien in a bright orange track suit.

"Hey," Peridot said, waving as she approached with her shoulders slouched.

Jasper grunted as she stretched her back, glancing to meet Peridot's gaze. "Hey. You look like shit."

"And you look like you're going hunting," Peridot shot back. "Thanks for waiting."

"Nah, I just got here, don't worry about it." Jasper put her hands on her hips, still panting slightly. Sweat stuck to her bangs and she tried to push them out of the way. She turned and opened the door, holding it for Peridot. "After you, ma'am," she cooed.

"Fuck off." Peridot shoved her hands in her pockets, feeling her wallet, her keys, and her phone, as she walked inside. Jasper came in close behind. Peridot smirked. For as annoying as Jasper was, her company was both pleasant and comforting. At least she knew no one would try to bother her as long as Jasper was around.

They both ordered their usual, with Peridot ordering a cup of black coffee and a plain donut, and Jasper ordering three donuts and two cups of tea, light and sweet. Peridot looked at Jasper incredulously. "How do you stay so fit when you eat nothing but garbage?"

Jasper simply tapped her gem. "It's all in here. Everything else is just extra."

Peridot glowered. "Lucky you." She was about to pull out her wallet to pay for her meal when Jasper's huge hand stopped her. "Hey, what gives?"

"Don't worry about it. I got it."

"You've gotten it the last three times, at least let me pay for myself!"

"Not a chance, Dot." Jasper flicked Peridot's visor, dangerously close to her gem, which made the smaller gem flinch. "I got it."

"Um, that'll be $10.97," the blonde cashier said, looking awkwardly between Peridot and Jasper. She must have been new. Nearly everyone else who worked at the Big Donut was used to seeing the two of them by now, and even more used to seeing them argue about payment. Peridot almost felt sorry for the kid. (Almost.)

Jasper paid in cash, telling the girl to keep the extra three cents, and the two made their way to an empty table. It was a decent seat, right by the window with a view of the beach. They sat down and chatted briefly, Peridot still groggy and irritable.

Finally, Jasper's voice grew serious. "So... What do you think Lapis thought of me?"

"Huh?" Peridot had been only half-listening. Bad habit from work.

"I mean..." Jasper wrung her hands, crushing her first empty cup between them. "I don't - I'm never really sure what girls think of me when they first see me..." A tiny blush rose to her cheeks. "Even if I know what I think of them right away."

Peridot rolled her eyes. "Jasper, you met for, like, two seconds. I don't know if that's really enough to judge."

"Come on!" Jasper pleaded. "You have to judge people in that amount of time when you work. You must have at least somewhat of an impression."

Peridot grumbled, hating it when she was right. She thought back to last night, played the interaction over in her mind, and then spoke. "I think she was interested."

"R-really?"

"Yeah, she does this weird thing where she licks her lips whenever she sees someone who she likes. She did that to you. So. Yeah. She probably wants to see you again soon."

"Soon? How soon?" Jasper's yellow eyes were wild with panic.

Peridot shrugged. "Probably within the next few days. She'll find an excuse. She's Lapis."

Jasper grinned, chuckling softly to herself, before coughing to regain her composure. "Do you think she'll come back with your special lady friend?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows and smirking.

"Oh, for stars' sakes," the green gem groaned, rubbing her temples over her visor. "Stop badgering me about that."

"Come _on_ , Peridot! It was so obvious you were into her!" Jasper slapped the table for emphasis, scaring a nearby patron who decided to move seats. "Like, the way you looked at her that one time - you had this _genuine_ look on your face that you never give anyone." With a haughty chuckle, she added, "Well, except for me, back in the day."

"Enough." Peridot gave her friend a thwack on the back of the hand with her plastic stirrer. "So I felt bad for her when she was telling me her story about why she decided to drink herself into oblivion, big fucking deal. It happens. I happen to have a heart, no matter how shriveled and lifeless it may be."

"What was her story, anyway?" Jasper folded her hands together, leaning in closer. Well, now she was expecting it, so of course Peridot had to tell. Great.

"Basically," Peridot said, taking a sip of her coffee, "she was dating this chick, this chick was into polyamory and seeing this other dude at the same time, then the second chick and the dude wound up getting pregnant and our friend couldn't handle the relationship anymore. Broke up with her girl that morning. She's still living with them, though. Said they apologized for hurting her." Peridot picked at her donut with her fingers, hearing her kindergarten teacher tell her not to play with her food in the back of her mind. "Sucks."

Jasper blinked, exhaling loudly. "Damn. That does suck. No wonder you gave her a free one."

"Yeah. Poor kid." Peridot shrugged and downed the rest of her coffee hard. "Not much more you can do, though. She'll work it out on her own."

"I hope so." Jasper paused for a moment before she checked her watch. "Shit, it's getting late. I need to get home and shower. You gonna be all right on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Peridot said, waving Jasper off. "Go on, scram."

"Thanks." Jasper stood and playfully ruffled Peridot's hair. "Enjoy your alone time."

"Will do."

As Jasper left, Peridot stared out at the rolling waves. She wasn't one for meditation or anything like that, but it was soothing to watch the tide come in. She'd done it a hundred times with Lapis in college, although, since Lapis had majored in marine biology, it was necessary. Now, it was just something to pass the time. She kept thinking about every little thing that raced into her mind - about how things couldn't have worked out between her and Jasper, how she was grateful that they were close friends, how she _really_ should try to stay in touch with Lapis, how she was eventually going to give Yellow Diamond a piece of her mind for working her so hard.

Mostly, though, she kept thinking about that girl and how sad her eyes were. How much she seemed to resent herself for what had happened. Peridot couldn't remember her name, but she could remember her face. She did hope everything worked out for her. The woman did seem like a sweet girl. Peridot had meant it when she'd said she would find someone else.

Peridot sighed, chomping at her donut, letting her sharp teeth gnash together as she tried to shake those thoughts from her head. It was pointless to dwell on it. It was her first time at a bar and she'd gotten completely fucking wasted. There was no way she would come back, and even if she did, so what? It was a business transaction. That's all bartending was at the end of the day. Just business.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long... Also, I wrote half of this while drunk. I edited it sober, but damn. I need to get drunk and write more often.

A few days had passed since "The Pearl Incident," as it came to be called by Jasper and Peridot. They performed their jobs as usual, except Peridot might have taken a few more shots on her shifts than she was supposed to. In any case, it was enough time for the whole thing to get put out of Peridot's head. With the other woman not coming back, Peridot was able to concentrate on her job (as well as how much she hated it) once again.

Tonight was a Saturday night, one of the busiest of the week. The bar was full of both regulars and their visiting friends, and Peridot was working quickly and efficiently, as she liked. She cast her usual nicknames, lines, and sensual grins on all the women there, who all fluttered, even some who came with their boyfriends. It was enough to boost her ego. (And she was getting tipped _exceptionally_ well, she might add.)

The low light and loud music completely drowned out the sounds from the football game playing on the TV next to the bar, but that didn't stop several customers from roaring as they watched, rapt at attention. Peridot rolled her eyes but allowed it to continue. Still, she shot Jasper a look and mouthed "Keep an eye on them." Jasper nodded, folding her arms and dividing her attention between the door, the bar area, and the rowdy crowd nearest the television.

The door jingled as Jasper checked the IDs of more customers. Peridot, busy mixing a drink with her usual overly flamboyant style, was not looking. She slid the brightly colored mixed drink down the bar, crowing, "There you go, just the way you like it!" The girl's brown cheeks flushed and she jabbed the woman next to her with her elbow.

Peridot smirked and turned as she heard a familiar voice. "Jeez, I can't recall you ever smiling this much in college."

Peridot smiled, forcing it to be wider than she'd have normally given, as she saw Lapis Lazuli in a flattering black dress sitting at the bar. "Lapis! Hey! How are you?"

"Pretty good," Lapis said, biting her lip and grinning. "You look like  _you're_ having a good time back there."

Peridot tried to resist the urge to smack her. She and Lapis may not have spoken for a while, but Lapis knew about Peridot's acting skills being put to use at her job. Peridot also knew that one of Lapis's favorite games was trying to get under someone's skin until they burst. But, since Peridot already had so much experience dealing with Lapis's mind games, she refused to play along.

"It's not so bad," she said. "You gonna order anything or should I turn my attention to someone in more dire need?"

"Oh, I think there's someone else you should be tending to right now," Lapis grinned. "But if you're at it already, I'll just take rum and soda. Make it strong."

Peridot scowled, only momentarily, at the phrase that Lapis  _knew_ she hated just as much as people who clicked or whistled to get her attention. She quickly put her smile back on and said, "Sure thing, comin' right up." She knew better than to flirt with Lapis, and besides, they were like sisters. It would have just been gross.

Peridot fixed the drink exceptionally fast, knowing how Lapis never actually cared about how her drink tasted. She tossed it back Lapis's way and looked up. Scanning the customers, she could see no one who needed her immediate attention. A flutter of movement beckoned her eyes to glance to her right, and her breath hitched in her throat almost immediately.

Coming out of the women's bathroom, dressed in a very simple, plain red dress with a black ribbon around the waist and black heels, was the woman from earlier that week.

Peridot gulped. Pearl? Back? She hadn't been expecting that. She really, truly had not been expecting that.

Lapis turned her head when she saw what had grabbed Peridot's attention, a wicked smile on her face. "Hey, Pearl! Come here, I saved you a seat!"

Pearl looked up cautiously, locking eyes with Peridot for just a moment. Could she see how shocked she was? Possibly. Her cheeks flushed a lovely teal color ever so slightly as she made her way over to Lapis, sitting down delicately on the stool. Pearl said a quick hello to Lapis before turning to look at Peridot. "H-hello there."

Peridot coughed, trying to keep control of her voice. "Hey, how's it goin'? Didn't think I'd see you 'round here again. You're not getting into any trouble, are you?"

Pearl giggled and the sound sent a chill down Peridot's spine in the best way. "I'm fine, I promise."

"Good, because if you were, I might have to ask you to leave, and I'd hate to see such a pretty face walk out of here." Good, good, this was good. Her normal work-charm was coming back. She could handle this. She could definitely, absolutely, one hundred percent handle this.

Pearl covered her hand with her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Your name's Peridot, right?" Oh, _no_ , she was being cute. _Dammit. Dammit. God fucking dammit._

"The one and only." _Motherfucker, what kind of cheesy ass-_

"Well, er, perhaps this is a bit of... an  _ unorthodox _ reason to return to such an establishment, but, er - I just wanted to say - ah, th-thank you. For what you did for me." Pearl coughed, looking terribly embarrassed. "I apologize for, uh, not being entirely myself that evening."

Peridot's guts felt tingly. "Aw, you came all this way just to tell me that? You don't have to thank me. I'd do that for anyone." _God fucking dammit why are you doing this literally why oh God what the fuck am I doing-_

"Oh, I-I know. Lapis told me all about you. But, I-I just - It wouldn't be right for me not to thank you in person, that's all." Pearl cleared her throat. "Um, could I trouble you for a drink as well?"

"Tch, baby, it's no trouble. It's my job. What do you need?" _This is my job this is literally my paid profession why is this so hard no no no shit fuck goddammit FUCK-_

"She'll have a shot of cinnamon whiskey in apple juice," Lapis interjected. "Trust me."

_ Oh my God fuck you Lapis don't fucking-  _ "You would give her your favorite," Peridot chuckled. She looked back at Pearl. "That sound good to you, sugar?" 

When Pearl nodded, Peridot set straight away at fixing the drink. She popped off the top of the flask of whiskey and poured it into a tall, clear glass, just enough for one shot. Then she reached down towards where the apple juice was secretly kept, tucked away from the other drinks to stay cool, and filled the rest of the glass with it. She bobbed the bottle up and down, showcasing the flowing cascade of golden juice, before finishing it off and screwing the cap back on. Holding the glass in her robotic fingers, she used her hands to give it a quick shake before giving it to Pearl, placing it right in her hands as opposed to sliding it towards her. "There you are," she said, her voice much softer than she was used to. Sensing her slip in character, Peridot coughed. "Might have to have my friend here keep a special eye on you with that, princess."

"I think I can handle myself," Pearl said, but her expression was gentle. Peridot watched as she took the drink to her lips, clearly bracing herself for the usual pang and burn of liquor, and her eyes opened wide when that never hit. "Oh, this is..."

"Pretty smooth, yeah? You can see why Lapis here likes 'em so much."

A customer from the opposite end of the bar interrupted the conversation. "Um, excuse me, miss?"

"One second!" Peridot called before looking at Pearl again. She grinned. "You need anything, pretty lady, you just call for me." Giving her a playful wink, Peridot turned and left, focusing on the other customers.

Pearl clutched her drink in both hands, looking at Lapis. "Well. That went much better than expected."

Lapis, taking a sip of her own drink, grinned devilishly. "She likes you."

"Well, that's fortunate."

"No, Pearl, I mean she's got a thing for you."

"Excuse me?" Pearl nearly spit out her drink upon hearing the phrase, covering her mouth with her hand to hide the mess. "What on _earth_ gives you that impression?"

"The way she looks at you," Lapis answered. "And how she talks to you. You're different from everyone else here to her. She cares about you."

"We only met once before..." Pearl didn't like the logic of this conversation. Didn't like the direction it was going in. Wanted to get out of it as soon as possible. Couldn't think of a way to get out. This was too much, too soon. Out, out, out.

"Well, I'm not saying she's in  _ love _ with you, squid-brain." Lapis chuckled. "Just that she's got a little crush. She probably doesn't even realize that she does. She can be pretty dense when it comes to her own feelings."

"How would you know?" Pearl snapped defensively, thankful for the first time in her memory that an especially loud song came on.

"I lived in the same room as her for four years, Pearl. Trust me. You get to know people." She shrugged and took another sip of her drink, her nose scrunching up slightly from the bitter taste. "And you've clearly got a little something going, too."

"I do not!"

"Then why'd you blush when she looked at you?"

"I was  _ passed out drunk _ in front of her just days ago! It was humiliating!"

"Uh- _ huh _ ." Lapis grinned wide. "Humiliating enough for you to come back for seconds?"

Pearl scoffed. "It's not like you came back here for entirely pure reasons, either."

"Oh, you are certainly right about that." Lapis swiveled in her seat just enough to catch the bouncer's eye. Jasper glanced over, blinked when she saw Lapis looking, then turned her head away, her cheeks flushing. "She's cute. I like her."

"Somehow, when you told me about wanting to see someone here again, I didn't quite picture..." Pearl started, but let the thought trail off.

Lapis giggled. "She looks like she wants me to break her in half. I'd be only too happy to oblige."

"Lapis!" Pearl exclaimed. "We're in public, you can't talk like that!"

"We're in a  _ bar _ , Pearl. Pretty much anything goes here." Lapis smirked, setting her drink down. "Watch this for me. I'm gonna go work some of my water witchy magic."

"Ugh, you're impossible," Pearl lamented. As she watched Lapis saunter off towards the especially tall, muscular bouncer, a thought came to Pearl's mind. "And for your information, squids are  _ exceptionally _ intelligent creatures!"

Lapis didn't hear her, or, if she did, she made every effort not to indicate it. Pearl sighed. Suddenly, staring at the two half-empty glasses in front of her, watching the ripples forming from the loud, bassy music, she felt her stomach churn with doubt. What the hell was she doing here?

Her phone buzzed uncomfortably loudly in her purse. She must have accidentally put it up against her mirror or something, ugh. Quickly, Pearl's deft hands snatched it out and silenced the vibration. It was a series of texts from Rose. Pearl cringed, but looked through them anyway.

**Rose, 10:15 PM  
** Where are you?

**Rose, 10:16 PM  
** Is everything okay?

**Rose, 10:19 PM  
** Please call me in an hour just so I know you're all right.

Pearl sighed. She didn't want to talk to Rose. It wasn't that she had anything against her, just...

It was too much. This whole thing was too much.

The soft tapping of fingers that weren't quite flesh lured Pearl out of her reverie. She glanced up and saw the wide, crooked smirk of Peridot. A green flower adorned the right breast pocket of her black vest, as though she wasn't green enough. Pearl felt a small smile tug at the corners of her lips.

"You double-fisting now?" Peridot quipped, pointing to the two glasses. "Jeez, baby, didn't you learn the first time?"

"O-oh, no, that one's not-" Pearl stammered, embarrassed.

Peridot chuckled, her expression softening. "I'm just kidding, baby. I remember what I gave you." She looked just over Pearl's shoulder, and Pearl followed her gaze. Lapis was, apparently, doing a very good job of flirting with Jasper, whose body language had become very small and non-threatening. "God, she never changes, I swear."

"Honestly, I'm surprised," Pearl said.

Peridot snorted. "I'm not. She does this kind of shit all the time. Has ever since UBC."

"Oh, you went to the University of Beach City?" Pearl asked, looking for any kind of small talk. She had to keep her mind busy. Had to ignore those texts still. Had to pretend, just for a few hours, that her whole life wasn't crashing down around her. "What did you study?"

"Graduated with a double major in computer science and engineering," the bartender said, a tiny smirk crossing her face. "Been here ever since," she added, her tone dismal. "How about you, princess? You seem like a smart lady."

Pearl coughed. "Well, ah, I have a bachelor's in business, but for my master's degree I decided to pursue what I really love..."

"Which is?"

Pearl blushed, rubbing the back of her neck, almost afraid to say it. "Astrophysics."

Peridot's eyebrows shot up, her mouth curling into an impressed grin. "That's different. What made you wanna do that?"

Pearl coughed, looking towards the nearest window. Though slightly obscured by skyline, the full moon was clearly visible, hanging precariously in the night sky. "I've always loved the idea of space... Just, how free and beautiful it is. You know?"

Peridot nodded. "Yeah. Sure as hell would beat being here."

Pearl was about to speak, but stopped as an ugly sound interrupted her.

_Bzzzzt... Bzzzzt... Bzzzzt..._

"Ugh, I'm sorry... My ex." Pearl grumbled, placing a $20 on the counter. "I have to take this. Keep the change."

Peridot blinked, about to speak when someone down the counter called for her. Wordlessly, she watched as Pearl fumbled through her purse to take her phone call.

Pearl walked just outside, past Lapis and Jasper, where it was quiet. "Hello?"

"Pearl, thank goodness!" Rose's light and airy voice was weighted down with anxiety. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. "Where are you? Greg and I have been so worried!"

"Out. With Lapis." She hadn't meant to sound clipped, hadn't meant to... but she did.

She could almost see Rose flinch. "I-I'm sorry... You hadn't told us, and you haven't exactly been yourself these past few days..."

"Mm."

"We... we were just worried something had happened. We care about you."

"I'm aware."  _That's what makes this so hard._

A car's headlights pierced the blackness of night. The steady, loud hum of its engine filled the awkward silence as it drove past, blinking out of sight as quickly as it had come. Pearl sighed.

"Well, if you're all right, then I'll let you go." Rose sounded defeated. Pearl didn't feel especially victorious for it. "I'll talk to you later."

"Right. Bye." She clicked her phone off, stuffed it into her purse once more, and sighed, thinking about how sometimes, everyone lost.


End file.
